Makan All Day: Hainanese Chicken Rice

Makan is eat in Bahasa Melayu. One of the best things about being in Singapore is undoubtedly the food. It is no secret that Singaporeans eat and drink with a passion. For the newcomer, deciding where and what to eat can be an intimidating, yet at the same time, exciting experience. Undoubtedly one of the favorites, even considered as one of Singapore's national dish, is the Hainanese Chicken Rice, or simply, chicken rice. In the old Hainanese method, the chicken is prepared by boiling the entire chicken in pork and chicken bone stock. A separate chicken stock is prepared for cooking the rice. This produces an oily, flavourful rice sometimes known as "oily rice". Here in Singapore, where modernity has made the maintenance and long-term storage of stocks unfeasible, the meat is cooked by boiling in water flavoured with garlic and ginger instead, with the resulting stock used in the preparation of the rice and also in the accompanying soup. It is served with chili sauce, pounded ginger and dark soya sauce. The usual side dish is boiled kai-lan (Chinese broccoli) with oyster sauce. There are many variations of the chicken rice, the most common are the steamed white chicken and the roasted chicken. The best chicken rice I've tried are from Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice along Thomson Road and Loy Kee Best Chicken along Balestier Road. Like what the locals would say... Die, die... must try ah!